Mandevilla plant named ‘Sunpa 201’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Mandevilla  plant named ‘Sunpa 201’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; and medium-sized speckled red and light purplish pink bi-colored flowers with light purplish pink-colored petal margins.

Botanical designation: Mandevilla hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNPA 201’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR/APPLICANT & ASSIGNEE

The Inventor/Applicant and Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor/Applicant and/or Assignee. Inventor/Applicant and Assignee claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Mandevilla plant, botanically known as Mandevilla hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunpa 201’.

The new Mandevilla plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Mandevilla hybrida identified as code number M37-mt2, not patented. The new Mandevilla plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the mutation parent selection in a controlled greenhouse environment in Maasland, The Netherlands in June, 2019.

Asexual reproduction of the new Mandevilla plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in Maasland, The Netherlands since June, 2019 has shown that the unique features of this new Mandevilla plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Mandevilla have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunpa 201’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunpa 201’ as a new and distinct Mandevilla plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Medium-sized speckled red and light purplish pink bi-colored         flowers with light purplish pink-colored petal margins.

Plants of the new Mandevilla can be compared to plants of the mutation parent selection. Plants of the new Mandevilla differ primarily from plants of the mutation parent selection in flower color as plants of the new Mandevilla have speckled red and light purplish pink bi-colored flowers whereas plants of the mutation parent selection have light purplish pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Mandevilla can be compared to plants of the Mandevilla hybrida ‘Sunpa 4411’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,141. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Mandevilla differ from plants of ‘Sunpa 4411’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Mandevilla have shorter internodes than         plants of ‘Sunpa 4411’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Mandevilla are smaller than         leaves of plants of ‘Sunpa 4411’.     -   3. Petals of plants of the new Mandevilla are imbricate whereas         petals of plants of ‘Sunpa 4411’ are not imbricate.     -   4. Plants of the new Mandevilla have speckled red and light         purplish pink bi-colored flowers whereas plants of ‘Sunpa 4411’         have purplish red-colored flowers.     -   5. Plants of the new Mandevilla have shorter peduncles than         plants of ‘Sunpa 4411’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Mandevilla plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Mandevilla plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunpa 201’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical flower and flower buds of ‘Sunpa 201’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the early autumn in 18-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Mandevilla production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 25° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were six months old when the photographs and detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Mandevilla hybrida ‘Sunpa 201’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary     selection of Mandevilla hybrida identified as code number M37-mt2,     not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About two weeks             at temperatures about 23° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About five to six weeks at temperatures about 23° C.             to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically light brown in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright to outwardly spreading plant             habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit with             about five primary lateral branches; suitable for hanging             baskets and garden plantings.         -   Plant height.—About 32 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 75 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 2.3 cm. Diameter:             About 3.5 mm. Internode length: About 3.3 cm. Strength:             Strong, flexible. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             developing: Close to 143A. Color, fully developed: Close to             N199A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Decussate, simple.         -   Length.—About 5.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Cordate.         -   Margin.—Entire; moderately undulate and incurving.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth,             glabrous; semi-glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A; venation,             close to 143A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 146A; venation, close to 146D.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.7 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers; flowers             face upright to outwardly; freely flowering habit with about             three to five flowers per axil and about 65 flowers             developing per plant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants             begin flowering about six weeks after planting rooted             cuttings; long flowering period, plants flower continuously             from summer until late autumn in Japan.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About seven to ten days;             flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 7 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 cm.             Shape: Rhombic. Color: Proximally, close to 45A and             distally, close to 63B.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Salverform; flared trumpet, corolla             fused and five-parted; flowers roughly star-shaped.             Diameter: About 7.4 cm. Depth (length): About 6.5 cm. Throat             diameter: About 1.9 cm. Tube length: About 1.8 cm. Tube             diameter, proximally: About 4.1 mm.         -   Corolla.—Quantity and arrangement: Five petals arranged in a             single whorl and fused towards the base into an elongated             tube; petal lobes imbricate. Petal lobe length: About             3.2 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2.7 cm. Petal lobe shape:             Spatulate, asymmetrical. Petal lobe apex: Acuminate. Petal             lobe margin: Entire; moderately undulate and slightly             recurved. Petal lobe texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety; matte. Throat texture             and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Tube texture and             luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: Petal lobe, when             opening, upper surface: Close to 60A and 62B, speckled.             Petal lobe, when opening, lower surface: Close to 63A and             62D, speckled. Petal lobe, fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 53B and 62C, speckled; edges, close to 62C;             venation, similar to lamina; color becoming closer to 61C             with subsequent development. Petal lobe, fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 67A and 63D, speckled; venation, similar             to lamina; color does not change with subsequent             development. Throat: Proximally, close to N25B and 71A with             suture, close to 75D; distally, close to 32A and 175B;             suture, close to 163A. Tube: Close to 63B and 62D; distally,             close to 45B and 145C.         -   Calyx.—Quantity and arrangement: Five sepals arranged in a             single whorl, fused at the base; calyx, star-shaped. Sepal             length: About 6.8 mm. Sepal width: About 2.3 mm. Sepal             shape: Lanceolate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire.             Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Sepal color, upper surface: Close to 144A; towards the apex,             close to 64A. Sepal color, lower surface: Proximally, close             to 145A and distally, close to 142A variably tinged with             close to 71C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 3.6 mm.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Aspect: Upright to outwardly.             Color: Close to 144B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 2.3 mm.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Aspect: Upright to outwardly.             Color: Close to 145A variably tinged with close to 64A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity and arrangement:             Typically five; filaments fused to corolla; anthers,             connivent. Anther size: About 1.5 mm by 8.7 mm. Anther             shape: Lanceolate. Anther color: Close to 160C. Pollen             amount: None observed. Pistils: Quantity: Typically one.             Pistil length: About 2.6 cm. Style color: Close to 145D.             Stigma shape: Conical. Stigma color: Close to 143B. Ovary             color: Close to 144A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production have             not been observed on plants of the new Mandevilla. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Mandevilla     have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Mandevilla plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Mandevilla have been observed     to tolerate wind, rain and temperatures ranging from about 4° C. to     about 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Mandevilla plant named ‘Sunpa 201’ as illustrated and described. 